You are here:

CBI court finds Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty in Aarushi murder case

Rajesh and Nupur Talwar found guilty in the murder case of their daughter Aarushi.

The parents convicted under sections 302 and 201, while Rajesh Talwar also convicted on additional charge under Section 203 for filing a false FIR. They have been taken into custody after the verdict. “We are deeply disappointed, hurt and anguished over conviction,” they said in a statment. “We refuse to feel defeated and will continue to fight for justice,” they said.

On the other hand, the CBI lawyer on Aarushi case, RK Saini, stated, “Court said according to the circumstances there is no one else who could commit the crime.”

Nearly five-and-a-half years after the sensational killings of teenager Aarushi Talwar and domestic help Hemraj, a special CBI court will today pronounce its verdict whether her parents are guilty in the case which saw several twists and turns.

Special Judge S Lal, who is retiring soon, gave his decision after a 15-month-long trial of dentist couple, both out on bail at present, on charges of murder and destruction of evidence in the killing of their 14-year-old daughter and servant on the intervening night of May 15-16, 2008 at their Jalvayu Vihar residence in Noida.

The probe followed a sine curve with varied theories from the investigating agencies–Uttar Pradesh Police and CBI–starting with father Rajesh Talwar being a suspect to the domestic servants of their friends and back to the dentist and his wife.

Security has been beefed up outside the special CBI court premises. “Three DSPs, three station house officers, 90 constables and one platoon of PAC have been deployed outside the court,” SP (City), Ghaziabad, Muniraj said.

Both Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were out on bail.

The case has been under intense media glare throughout and in August 2009 the Supreme Court restrained the media from sensational or scandalous reporting of the matter even as the Talwars accused CBI of changing the course of investigation and purported leaks “damaging” their reputation.

Uttar Pradesh Police started its probe on the premise that Hemraj had killed Aarushi and escaped from the crime scene.

After discovery of Hemraj’s body on the terrace of Talwars’ flat next day i.e. on May 16, 2008, under dramatic circumstances, the needle of suspicion came on Rajesh who was taken into custody by the UP Police.

The sensational allegations made by UP Police that killer was none other than father of the teenager who acted in rage after finding Aarushi and Hemraj in “objectionable but not compromising” position accentuated media attention.

Amid growing media scrutiny, the then UP Chief Minister Mayawati handed over the case to CBI.

A CBI team under Joint Director Arun Kumar concluded that murders were allegedly committed by Krishna Thadarai- help at Talwar’s clinic, his friend Rajkumar– a domestic servant with Praful and Anita Durrani who were Talwars’ friends, and Vijay Mandal, driver of Talwars’ neighbour.

These findings were trashed by the then CBI Director Ashwani Kumar who poked holes in the theory by underlining loopholes in the arguments given by Arun Kumar.

In September 2009, Kumar constituted a new team under Joint Director Javeed Ahmed and the then SP Neelabh Kishore to look into the case afresh with freedom to choose their team members for the case.

After nearly an year of intense probe, the new team cleared the servants and hinted at the role of Rajesh Talwar on the basis of circumstantial evidence.